Nightmares
by RC2012
Summary: Both Skipper and Private have nightmares about their adventure involving Dave and the penguin kidnapping. While Private is very upset, Skipper comforts him. Family fluff.


**Nightmares-A Penguins of Madagascar Movie Fanfic**

"No! You let Private go!" Skipper cried out as he, Kowalski, and Rico were stuck in a cage.

Private was strapped to a metal table standing up almost vertically, while Dave smiled evilly as he slowly reached his tentacle towards the button on his remote.

Once pushed, it would zap Private with the medusa serum. And with the increase in power, he'll either become a super mutant, or die.

Private was shaking violently out of fear.

"Private!" Skipper cried.

Dave pushed the button.

"Skipper?" was all Private had time to say before the ray hit him.

He was disintegrated before Skipper's eyes.

A lone feather fluttered down through the air and Skipper caught it in his flipper.

Tears welled up in his eyes.

"Private?"

He fell apart.

"Private! NOOOOOOOOOO!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Dave laughed out evilly.

"Private, I'm so sorry! If I hadn't made you be the diversion back in Shanghai, none of this would've happened! Please come back!"

Darkness began to surround Skipper as he could hear Dave continuing to laugh evilly, which was getting louder.

Skipper shot up and looked around, panting.

He saw that he was lying on a small bed made up for him to sleep in. He appeared to be in part of a big tent or something.

That's right; he was back at the circus along with his brothers. They came back after their adventure and thwarting Dave.

And Private was okay. Thank goodness.

Skipper fell down on his bed and stared up at the top of the tent.

He was so glad that it was all a bad dream.

Oh wait; it was based on something that actually happened, or appeared to happen before Skipper's eyes. Thinking Private had died.

He felt bad that his failed plan in Shanghai got Private kidnapped by Dave, but he felt devastated when he thought that he'd lost Private, his brother, forever.

Skipper sighed.

Thank goodness Private survived. Thank goodness he managed to get himself out of the way of the ray just in time.

Skipper realized that Private was capable of doing so much.

Perhaps he had always been capable of great things, and Skipper never noticed or gave it much thought. Because he only saw Private as cute.

Cute.

Had he always thought that Private was just cute?

He thought about all the times during their mission that Private tried to show what he was made of or could contribute, but Skipper always ignored him. Always oblivious to Private's want of being recognized as meaningful and important.

_Maybe, maybe I should talk to him. Tell him, remind him, what a valuable member of the team he is?_ Skipper thought.

Then Skipper yawned.

_But maybe tomorrow. I'm tired and need some shut eye._

He lay down, rolled over, and closed his eyes. Hoping to go to sleep.

But he heard something, something soft.

Then it got a little higher and Skipper recognized it to be crying.

Private's crying.

Skipper sat up in a flash.

"Private?"

The crying got louder.

Skipper sprang out of bed and started running toward the area where Private slept.

What if he's in danger? What if Dave's come back for revenge? Can't be, he's about a few inches tall and trapped in a snow globe. What if his minions were here seeking revenge, but on Private?

All these questions raced through Skipper's mind as he ran towards the sound of Private's crying.

He made it over to Private's bed, where the penguin was frailing his arms and feet about frantically, as if he were trying to run away from something.

Something that wanted to get him.

"Help! Please someone, anyone, help!" Private whimpered.

"Private."

Skipper ran to beside his brother.

"Skipper, Kowalski, Rico!"

"I'm here, Private! I'm here!" Skipper said.

"Please don't hurt me!"

"Private, Private! Its okay, it's okay! Wake up!" Skipper said shaking him.

Private woke up and sat up in his bed. He turned to face Skipper.

"Skipper?"

Skipper gave him a smile.

The little penguin whimpered and teared up before he hugged Skipper.

"Oh, Skipper! It was awful!"

"There, there Private." Skipper said, stroking his back.

"I-I-I saw you, Kowalski, and Rico. I saw you guys being turned into mutants before my eyes. Then you were all running away and I was running after you, trying to get you to stop. Then you guys stopped and turned around…and starting chasing after me. I tried to tell you that it was me, but you weren't snapping out of it. It was like you guys didn't recognize me at all. T-Then I tripped…a-and you guys pounced and were about to land on me…and then…I woke up."

Private held onto Skipper tightly, not wanting to know what would've happened next in the dream if it had continued.

Skipper patted Private on the back and had the little guy look him in the eye.

Private still had tears going down his face.

Poor little guy.

"It's okay. It was all just a bad dream. Sure Kowalski, Rico, and I became mutants. But you managed to snap us out of it. And we're all back to normal, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Private said wiping away a tear. The tears had just stopped.

Skipper looked at Private in a concerned matter.

It had been over a day since they'd defeated Dave back in Battery Park, and it did seem inevitable that some of the penguins would have nightmares based on the events of that adventure.

Private sniffled.

Skipper sat down beside him. And patted Private's back.

"We're all safe. Safe and okay. Dave won't be bothering us any time soon and the medusa serum's been locked away; courtesy of the North Wind. So we're all fine now."

Private sniffled again.

"B-But what if…you, Kowalski, and Rico end up being mutants again? What if I'm unable to snap you out of it like last time? I don't want to lose you guys; you're all the family I have."

Skipper felt the same way about Private.

"Hey, hey. That won't happen again. And if it does, you'll be able to snap us out of it again, I'm sure."

Private didn't look so sure.

"C'mon, think. How were you able to snap us out of that mutant mentality?"

Private put his flipper to his chin and thought, but no answer came to him.

"I'll tell you how." Skipper said. "It was because of the bond you shared with us for the past ten years."

"Bond?" Private asked.

"Yes. We've spent the last ten years together as a team, going on missions and adventures. Seeing places no penguin has never seen before and doing things no penguin's ever done before. We care about each other because we're a family."

Skipper paused. "And you reminded us that we were one. You reminded us of all the times we've spent with you, Private. That's how you snapped us back to ourselves."

Private looked away shyly. "Except Kowalski, I snapped him out of it by saying that Eva was worried about him."

Skipper smiled. "Well, he seemed happy as heck when he saw that you were alive. We all were. I don't 'know what we'd do if…"

Skipper frowned for a moment and shook his head, not wanting to finish that sentence. As if doing so would cause Private to die for real right then and there.

So he decided to change the subject.

After a moment, he spoke up again.

"I'm sorry, Private."

Private looked confused.

"Sorry, for what?"

"For…treating you like all you were was cute. For all the times you wanted to do something meaningful for the team…but I wouldn't let you."

Private looked at Skipper.

"What I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry. And from now on, I promise to treat you more like you're a meaningful and valued member of this team. And you are one. Kowalski, Rico, and I know you are. So never doubt that we do, even for a second."

Tears appeared in Private's eyes again, but they were tears of joy.

"Thank you, Skipper."

Skipper smiled. "Any time, you little scamp."

Skipper then hugged Private.

It felt a little strange and something Skipper often wouldn't do, but he thought that it was appropriate for the occasion.

Private hugged him back.

They broke away and smiled at each other.

Skipper then thought of something.

"Hold on, I'll be right back."

Skipper got up and walked off to find Kowalski and Rico.

He found them lying in the same bed, Kowalski so tired that he decided to just bunk with Rico for the night.

Skipper shook Rico and then Kowalski.

"Get up soldiers."

Kowalski opened his eyes and lifted himself up a little with his arms.

"Sir, what is it?"

Little Private waited in his bed for who knows how many minutes before he saw Skipper return, but with Kowalski and Rico.

"What's this?"

"We're gonna sleep together tonight. That way if any of us have nightmares, we'll be able to comfort each other." Skipper said with a smile.

Private smiled too and all four penguins were later lying in the same bed under the same blanket.

They said goodnight to each other and fell asleep one-by-one.

Private was the last one awake as he looked at his brothers and smiled.

"Thanks, Skipper. I love you, all of you."

Then the little penguin rested his head on his pillow and closed his eyes.

He was soon asleep.

Dreaming of going on epic adventures with his brothers.

THE END

**Happy New Year's everyone!**

**~RC**

**P.S. On Dec. 30****th****, I realized something about the Penguins of Madagascar movie. Like in the first Madagascar movie, the PoM adventure started on someone's tenth birthday (This time it being Private instead of Marty). Anyway, I hope you liked this story. Again,**

**~RC**


End file.
